1. Jesus Before Pilate
The climax scene of the St John Passion, which is one of two surviving settings of the Passion written by Bach,
is based on the inquisition of Pilate against Jesus. John opens the scene this way at the beginning of Chapter 18 ; - “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.(John 18:37-38)-
Today we reflect on the very question “What is truth?” asked by Pilate
Jewish soldiers arrested Jesus in the Thursday evening. They brought him first to Annas, then to Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. There Jesus was considered to be guilty for pretending a Messiah, sent by God. It was a crime and, in accordance with Jewish law, it deserved death. But at that time Jewish court had not the right to sentence anyone to death because it was dependent on Roman domination. Therefore they brought Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate understood that the case concerned Jewish religious matters. He did not want to take it seriously because Romans didn’t care about those issues, though they are crucial for Jewish people.
Pilate said ;- “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."(John 18:31)
He meant that Roman authority won’t be concerned with those kinds of problems in colonial regions. However he wondered whether Jesus was inciting the Jews to rebellion against Rome or not. The Jewish crowd knew the sensitive point so reacted this way ;- And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."(Luke 23:2)
They tried to accused Jesus of revolutionary acts against Roman Empire. This way they intentionally shifted the religious issue to a political one. Pretending to be the king of Jew should represent the intention of uprising counter to Rome. Therefore Pilate thought that he must make it clear by interrogating Jesus. ; - Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?"(John 18:33)
To that question ; - Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."(John 18:36)
Pilate was always afraid of occasions of Jewish rebellions, because Roman rule was established by military forces against the will of Jewish people. And he was afraid that Jesus was an provocater.
” King” is βασιλεύς {bas-il-yooce’} in Greek and it derived ” βασιλεία {bas-il-i’-ah} - kingdom. ” Pilate and Jesus them used the same words but they signified different notions, in a contrasting way. For Pilate the king and kingdom should be earthy ones and Jesus said them in spiritual sense, the Messiah and the kingdom of God.
However Pilate could not grasp the meaning of what Jesus said. He was only confused and thought that it was ridiculous to be a king without armed troops nor menservants. Therefore ; - “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. To his words ;- Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)
Jesus answer confused Pilate further because he could not understand how one could be a king by testifying to the truth. So ; - “What is truth?” Pilate asked.(John 18:38) However he was not so much interested in the conversation because what Jesus said seemed merely stupid to him. So he went out again to the Jews and said, ” I find no basis for a charge against him.(John 18:38)
However he concluded that Jesus was not guilty for the charge and found a concessive solution to save an apparently innocent man. ; - But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?"(John 18:39)
As you see that he expected that they chose Jesus. But ;-They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Please pay your attention to the fact that the same crowd enthoutiastically welcomed Jesus when he entered into Jerusalem ; - “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"(Luke 19:38)
The king that Jewish people desired was one who would set them free from Roman rule in secular sense. And when they witnessed Jesus’ miraculous healing power they became sure that he was the very man. But what happened in reality was Jesus’ surrender, even without fighting against Jewish authorities. Furthermore they were strongly disappointed by a man who was severely accused by Roman governor. So much so they should admit their mistake. They recognized that the man must not be a Messiah by any means.
Therefore they chose Barabba , a revolutionary, perhaps a zealot, as Luke recorded ;- (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)(Luke 23:19)
2. God’s kingdom or earthy one
Here two world are facing each other. Pilate represents a leader of the latter as governor of Judea under Roman rule. In that era Rome dominated all over the western world with army forced of tremendous power. The earthy world should be established on military forces. And Jesus is facing him as the king of the kingdom of God. Jesus had no fighting weapon because the kingdom of God must be ruled with the truth, not with army forces. Thus Jesus, without physical forces would be executed under Roman earthy power.
Nonetheless domination with military forces cannot be eternal as even modern history reveals. United States occupied Iraq by using military forces to destroy terrorism but the result is not at all what they desired. The occupying troops could not understand the way of thinking and living of Iraqis exacerbated the situation and increased terrorist attacks.
After causing death to thousands of Americans and hundreds and thousands of Iraqis, US government is now planning to retreat American troops from Iraq. Present situation there is almost similar to that of Judea in the time of Jesus. Roman legions occupied Judea by force and blasphemed against the Temple by bringing and placing their eagle flag into. The act was so provocative that Jewish people exhorted themselves to uprise and revolt against Roman Empire. The First Jewish–Roman War broke out* several years after Jesus’ execution. (66-73 CE.)
But Israelites lose the war. Jerusalem was occupied and destroyed by Roman solidiers. Jewish people were scattered. When they had a choice between Jesus and Barabba they chose Barabba who symbolized the law of earthy force. Under that law humans do not hesitate to bleed others’ blood or steal neighbors’ assets to reach the goal. The very choice destroyed the nation.
Rome executed Jesus. At that moment it seemed that the earthy kingdom overcame the kigdom of God. Nonetheless Pilate who gave the sentence was dismissed 6 years later and sent to a isolated place. He is said to have died their. Besides Roman Empire itself fallen 300 years after the event whereas Jesus teachings are spread and inherited even today all over the world.
The kigdom of God which was apparently destroyed by Rome triumphed over Rome after all. Countries which seek hegemony by using military forces must weaken and fall in certain future. The president Obama who recognized the fact is straining to diminish nuclear weapons which had been multiplied during the cold war.
The truth, or the ruling principle of the kingdom of God is not a certain abstract notion but it concerns political and economical problems our real life.
3.the truth sets us free
Today’s invocation verses are John 8:31-33 ; - To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
The word used for “free” is translated from ”ἐλεύθερος ” in Greek which contrasts with “δουλεύω” {dool-yoo’-o}, in slavery. Jesus says that knowledge of the truth would set them free from slavery. And Jewish people rebuffed by saying that they were already free, not being slaves of anyone. Indeed, in civil sense they were not slave. But Jesus pointed out that they were not free because they were under yoke of sin.
In the Japanese National Diet Library, a board which reads “The truth will set you free” is placed to high. And it is true that scientific studies and researches of the modern time enlarged human knowledge and intelligence. Those scientific informations made humans free from ignorances and superstitions by certain degrees. Nonetheless, despite all, they could not change human nature as we see always wars and conflicts all around the world. The fact push us to wonder if scientific truths made us really free.
It is also true that Japan became free society after the world war II. Today, judicially speaking, all of Japanese citizens are equal. But we might misunderstand the real meaning of freedom. We thought that freedom is having right to do anything egoistically. As a result, social communities in harmony are collapsing because inhabitants ignore their neighbors. Besides relationship inside the family is broken and each family members lives different lives. Divorce cases and underage criminal rates increased. As a matter of fact, right of conducting in egoistic way results in spiritual and mental slavery. We must acknowledge that Jesus words are correct. We, pretending to be free, are always slaves of the sin.
“Sin” is ”ἁμαρτία {ham-ar-tee’-ah}” in Greek, which means also ” to miss the target.”
And the very target for humans are God, who is the core of universe and our life. In the world where God is lost humans see only each other. Those who possess less become jealous of others then greedy. Those who are offended get angry and seek to revenge. Thus conflicts and wars are generated in chain-reactions. And humans cannot stop the sinful spiral of ” sin-death-sin” until they commence to aspire to God.
When Jesus was put up on the Cross he prayed God for forgiveness of his executers, ;- ” “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” Luke 23:34)
Even suffering terrible pains he was worrying about his offenders. Thus God definitively realized his will of cutting the evil spiral of humans. We can now reconcile with enemies through forgiveness , the act which make us free from sinful mind. It means we are listening to the words from the Cross.
“The truth make you free” signifies that the truth of the Cross of Christ makes you set free from burden of sins. You shall not ever hate others or teach evil things. The truth is Christ and freedom is the state of free in Christ. Out of that context, scientific truths nor human legal liberty makes any sense.
Saint Augustus said that there were 2 types of countries on the earth: one, founded on egocentric love which ignores God. The other is established by love for God in which we go beyond our selfish entity. The former is filled with arrogant and pretentious humans and the latter is of people who are proud of God.*
And The kingdom of God is not a utopia situated faraway from earthy reality. It exists now in our own daily place. Today Mr. Takebayasi came from the church of Tsukuba to give us advices concerning our construction plan of church building. He spends 2 hours to take the round-trip from Tsukuba to Shinozaki for that purpose. It is a completely non profit-making act, purely based on his helpful intention. In that act we see a partial realizion of the kingdom of God.
In this congregation we won’t take decision by majority rule on any matter. Instead, we discuss until we arrive to have an agreement of all members. If we cannot we postpone taking decision. I suggest you the same attitude concerning family problem. And I suggest you also to forgive any shameful acts committed by your partner, an adultery, for example. Because Jesus said that those who belong to the truth listen to his words. We must acknowledge the we are now living in the kingdom of God. Because at the moment of baptizement we promised to follow Jesus.
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* The First Jewish–Roman War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish–Roman_War
* Augustinus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustinus
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